‘My mother in-law said the child wasn’t mine’

A MAN of Lusaka’s Misisi Township has told the Main Local court that he stopped supporting his child after his mother in law told him that the child was not his.Emmanuel Sichone told the court that his mother in law had told him that he had a small male organ and therefore could not have impregnated her daughter.Sichone further told the court that his mother in-law had also stopped him from keeping the child.This is in a case where Sichone aged 24 was sued for review of child maintenance by the baby’s mother Grace Bwalya aged 19, after he stopped supporting their child.Sichone told the court that he had no problem in supporting the child stating that he only stopped because of his mother in-laws remarks.“I have always given her (Bwalya) money for our child and I have no problem with that but her mother told me that the child was not mine because I have a small manhood and could not have impregnated her daughter,” Sichone said.Bwalya, however, said Sichone stopped giving her money for the child and used to fight her whenever she reminded him.“He (Sichone) gets violent and always beats me whenever I go and ask for the money for the child which made me stop going to collect the money.Bwalya also asked the court to increase the money saying he (Sichone) used to give her previously was little to carter for all the needs of the child.Passing judgement, principal presiding magistrate Mable Mwaba sitting with senior local court magistrates Grace Kanda and Miyanda Banda ordered Sichone to start giving Bwalya K200 per month for child maintenance.